Eco-gardening is at its best in The Monday Garden
Issue 191, Part 7, January 21, 2006
THE CHERRY TREE PARK (EAST)
note: This entry is part of a series on Stamford's Mill River. Click here for the introductory page to the series.
This section of the Mill River tour covers the east side of the Cherry Park and the now-fenced-off lands between Washington Boulevard and the Mill River below West Broad Street, waiting to become part of the park.
PICTURE: View from the west side of the Cherry Park, looking northeast at the West Broad Street bridge, UConn, and Target. Jan 2006.
PICTURES (ABOVE AND BELOW): View from the entrance to the path on the east side of the Cherry Park from the southeast corner of Washington Boulevard and West Broad, Jan. 2006 The light illuminating the center of the path if just visible in the prior picture, south of the red Target store sign. In the current view, to the far left there's a glimpse of a convenient bus stop. Unlike only too many so-called "public" facilities in lower Fairfield County, most of the Mill River corridor is readily accessible by public transportation (the bus). The Stamford bus drivers, by the way, for the most part, are extremely helpful.
PICTURE: View a little farther along the east path, Jan. 2006. The bus stop is at the right.
PICTURE: The Canada geese have to fly from the top of the concrete wall to reach the safety and food of the water. This is a major problem for them in summer when they are molting and can't fly. They end up having to walk north, across West Broad Street to where the river has a natural bank, then swimming back down under the bridge. West Broad, though, is a very busy street and the geese usual want to cross during morning and evening rush hour. Somehow, the geese have figured out how to use the crosswalk, along with everyone else. The Stamford Advocate managed to capture the event on film a few years ago. Watching the human car drivers wait patiently for the geese to cross the street is an amazing sight, considering that many of the humans would gladly strangle all of these lawn-pooping feathered neighbors of ours, despite the geese's legally-protected status.
PICTURE: View looking north from the extreme south of the part of the east Cherry Park now open to the public. Jan. 2006
PICTURE: View near the river wall in the same area as the prior picture. Jan. 2006
PICTURE: View the fallow land east of the park which will someday be the great lawn. It now provides wildlife habitat. There is a young invasive ailanthus to the right; the brown browse is invasive mugwort. The red in the middle, though, is our wonderful native smooth sumac.
PICTURE: View looking east from the Cherry Park east, at the moon over the Landmark Tower, the tall beacon at the central of downtown which can be seen from most points in the downtown area. Every Christmas, Santa repels down the side of Landmark, then is conveyed by antique fire truck to light the Christmas tree in Latham Park. Later, a menorah is lit in the same park.
PICTURE: View near Washington Boulevard of the now fenced-off lands of the extended park-to-be. Oct. 2005.
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Photo credits: Sue Sweeney © Sue Sweeney 2006